I would like to personally thank you for watching the Origins
program. Origins was a special program, near to the heart of
my late husband, Russell Bixler.
I trust that the information in this presentation will be helpful in
your study of creation science. Thank you for your prayerful
and financial support of Origins… you’re making the television
production of this program possible.
Norma Bixler
Basic Classes of Creation Myths
• Creation stories are commonly classified into
a few basic groups.
• Evidence that most creation myths had their
origin from an actual set of events.
1. Creating From Nothing
• The Creator “calls forth” the creation.
• Examples: Navajo and Mayan.
• Christianity traditionally taught creation was
from “nothing” ex-nihilo (Genesis states six
times “and God said...and so it was”.)
2. Creation from Chaos
• Earth and living things formed from an
existing chaos.
• Examples: Greek, Chinese, Finnish, Indian,
Japanese, and Egyptian creation myths.
• For the Chinese creation was reducing chaos
to order.
3. Emergence Myths
• God creates the raw material ex-nihilo, then
shaped it into life.
• The formation of man from the dust of the
earth, and woman from Adam’s side.
God a Potter
• The Scriptures often refer to God as a potter,
molding a substance into something (Jer. 18:
1-9).
• The potter metaphor is commonly used to
describe God's creative activity in ancient
African and other creation myths.
4. Separation Myths
• Here, divisions or a separation of something
occurs (such as the division of day and
night).
• Creation by division is common in myths.
• Polynesian myth teaches light and darkness
were separated by God.
5. Creation From Cosmic Seed
• Some creation myths include the Cosmic
Seed idea out of which God made humans,
animals, plants, and the earth.
• Examples include Indian, Phoenician,
Egyptian, Orphic, and Chinese myths.
Basis For Creation Myths
• This history was oral in most cultures,
therefore would be embellished as society
developed.
• Many mythologies added elements for a
particular audience or reigning king.
• The historical basis presumed by the
storyteller, but lost to us.
Basis For Creation Myths
• All of the creation myths appear to be derived
from the events on which Genesis is based.
• In many cases large remnants of the original
story remain.
• Genesis, though, stands in contrast to all
other creation accounts because it contains
only the basic historical events.
The Tower of Babel
• Among the aspects found in Genesis that also
appears in many (or most) creation stories is
the confusion of tongues at Babel.
The Serpent Myth
• Another example is the serpent myth, (Gen.
3:1-15.)
• Serpents (snakes) have been a major
religious symbol in almost every society
throughout history.
• Serpents provoke innate, often irrational
fears, from most humans.
• Is this due to a past event?
Flood Stories Found in
Nearly Every Culture
• Strickling concluded that “nearly all” flood
accounts “are variations of the biblical
account ...”
• However, evidence of corruption exist in all
other accounts.
Flood Stories Found in
Nearly Every Culture
• Syrian, Sumerian, Greek, Babylonian, Chinese,
Irish, Persian and even the Estonian creation
stories all include a variant of the flood story.
• The American Indian flood caused “universal
destruction” because the world grew
“extremely sinful.”
Table I: World Flood Myths
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Event
%
1. Catastrophe a flood only, not other type
2. flood global
3. favored family saved
4. the geography local
5. rainbow mentioned
6. animals play any part
7. survival due to a boat
8. animals also saved
9. flood due to wickedness of humans
10. were they forewarned
11. survivors land on a mountain
Contain
95%
95%
88%
82%
75%
73%
70%
67%
66%
66%
57%
Epic of Gilgamesh
• Gilgamesh flood account remarkably similar
to Biblical.
• Gilgamesh, embellishes known historical
events for the sake of immortalizing a hero.
• Americans have done the same (Johnny
Appleseed).
Why The Similarity in
Creation Myths?
• Van Over concludes, “The surprising and
perplexing fact is that the basic themes for
[creation] myths in widely different
geographical areas are strikingly similar.”
• The 300 North American Indian creation
myths have a “small number of myth-types.”
Understanding the Meaning in
Ancient Creation Myths
• In contrast to Genesis, many creation myths
written by “philosophers and teachers” and
only incidentally refer to creation.
• Their primary purpose not to discuss origins.
Why Similar?
• Some claim that myths are similar because they
•
•
express fundamental feelings common to humans,
as love, hate, or revenge…
… or that they try to provide explanations for
things that we cannot otherwise explain –
astronomical, meteorological, and such.
But these societies are also acquainted with
empirical explanations.
Ancients Not Stupid
• The ancients had a tremendous amount of
insight and knowledge, and we are selling
them short in viewing their creation myths
purely as the product of ignorance.
Current Times
• In spite of an increase in knowledge, much
still exists about which we remain ignorant.
• And many problems we are no closer to
solving today than were the ancients.
• Speculations about the origin of the life.
Current Times
• Life has not changed in many important ways
since humans arrived on this planet.
• Eating, sleeping, working, loving and hurting
have all been much the same since the start
of recorded history.
• Except for lacking modern gadgetry, the
ancient life was very similar to today.
Symbolism
• The problem of understanding symbolism
also exists in interpreting the Hebrew creation
account.
• A major advantage today in understanding
ancient Hebrew and Greek writings is we
have a huge body of literature about them
compared to dead cultures.
Evidence for Creation Story
• The extant manuscripts for Genesis are far
more complete than all other ancient creation
accounts.
• Genesis has also been more extensively
studied than any other ancient creation
account.
• Genesis was validated by Christ, the Apostles
and early church.
• Nonetheless, as is true of all creation myths,
the Biblical account uses figures of speech
and allegories.
• Reference to Earth's four corners.
• The problem is to determine which
statements are symbolic.
Hebrew Account Stands Apart
• Genesis myth is a simple description of
events void of pagan embellishments.
• Genesis a stark contrast to comparable
ancient concepts.
• The origin of these myths is from actual
historical events.
Genesis: A Matter-of-Fact
Summary of Creation
Darwinist and outspoken atheist Isaac Asimov
concluded :
– The Biblical writers...labored to produce
something that was as reasonable and as useful
as possible. In doing so, they succeeded
wonderfully. There is no version …, preceding
the discoveries of modern science, that is as
rational and as inspiring as that of … Genesis.
Comparative Study of Creation Myths
• Can be a very beneficial part of curriculum.
• Universality of creation myths points to
human need for causal explanations of our
world.
• Schools have an obligation to meet this
legitimate educational need.